The Frank Loesser musical is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure"--two short stories by Damon Runyon. It also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories such as "Pick the Winner".

In "Fugue for Tinhorns", Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Benny Southstreet, and Rusty Charlie, argue over which horse will win a big race--Paul Revere, Valentine, or Epitaph.

The band members of the Save-a-Soul Mission, led by the pious and beautiful Sergeant Sarah Brown, call for sinners to "Follow the Fold" and repent.

Nathan is having difficulty finding a location for his notorious floating craps game due to police pressure.

New York police officer Lt. Brannigan is dead-set on catching Nathan and shutting down his illegal craps game.

He has found only one likely spot to hold the game--the "Biltmore garage", but its owner, Joey Biltmore, requires a $1,000 security deposit which Nathan doesn't have.

Nathan knows Sky Masterson will bet on almost anything, so he proposes a bet he believes he cannot lose: Sky must take a woman of Nathan's choice to dinner in Havana, Cuba. Sky agrees, and Nathan chooses the straight-laced Sarah Brown.

Noting the absence of sinners in Sarah's mission, Sky offers her "one dozen genuine sinners" in exchange for a date at his favorite restaurant--in Havana. She refuses and asks him to leave.

Adelaide is a regular performer at the Hot Box nightclub.

Adelaide loves Nathan more than anything, but she's getting tired of their 14-year engagement. After all, she's been sending her mother letters for twelve years claiming that they're married with five children.